The following invention relates generally to carriers that are convertible from a vessel to material handlers for filling bags. Particularly, the present invention relates to a container that is convertible from a sling type vessel to a scoop type filler for filling bags with fluent materials.
Devices to assist in the filling of fluent material, segmented material, particulate matter or the like into receptacles or containers have been known in the art for years. Common uses for such devices have included bagging grain or granuled material or segmented material from bulk lots into sacks for transporting to a destination.
Devices to carry a worker""s tools to a work site have been in use and known in the art for many years. The worker removes the tools from the device and proceeds to work; sometimes utilizing a device, such as a bucket carrying tools. However, most the time the device is placed to the side while work is being undertaken. Thus, there is an underutilization of instrumentalities within the work environment. This leads to excess materials being transported to the work site and if the work site is at a remote location this can result in waste of resources and time which could result in loss of property or injury in an emergency situation.
Many early loading devices of the type described supra were concerned only with providing a device on which a bag or sack could be mounted in such a manner that the mouth or opening of the bag would be maintained in an extended or open position to receive the material from the bulk lot. Probably the most famous of these devices, used in a small scale environment, is U.S. Pat. No. 3,255,570, issued to Weiner on Jun. 14, 1966 and assigned to McDonalds""s System, Inc. The device is the scoop that McDonald""s restaurant employees use to fill french-fry orders. This device permits a uniform predetermined quantity of french-fries to be filled. However, this device when operated, produces a lot of waste because of the segmented material falling outside the bag when the device is lifted from the bulk lot of french-fries or the multiple number of times the device has to be inserted and lifted to fill a predetermined amount of french-fries for a standard bag or carton.
On a larger scale, the devices described supra contemplated a holding device operable by one person to position a sack or bag for receiving particulate or granular matter which was gathered and loaded by a second person employing a shovel, scoop or similar implement. In some instances, these devices were provided with projecting handles to facilitate manual gripping. And, sometimes these devices were provided with retainer means for temporarily holding or suspending a bag or sack. The problems with these types of devices is the requirement of two persons and the number of individual parts needed to make the device thus having a high cost of manufacture and a constant attention to check for and repair any damage.
Another class of bag loading device was directed toward operation of a single person rather than two people normally required with the conventional system of filling sacks or bags. These devices took the approach of combining a bag holding device with a scoop or shovel which could be manipulated by one person to gather and direct particulate or granular matter into a bag or sack mounted on the aforementioned device. These devices commonly had a portion of the structure shaped like a scoop or shovel which could be manipulated to gather and retain a quantity of particulate or granular matter and transfer it to the sack or bag mounted on the opposite end to the scoop or shovel. Normally, handles were positioned at two or more locations on the device to facilitate its manipulation for the gathering and bagging functions. Examples of such devices can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 571,513; 791,472; 1,167,782 and 1,182,412. Although these devices eliminate the extra worker to hold the bag, the problem of maintenance and repair and the high cost of manufacturing per unit did not offset any advantage achieved from the utilization of these devices.
The following prior art reflects the state of the art of which applicant is aware and is included herewith to discharge applicant""s acknowledged duty to disclose relevant prior art. It is stipulated, however, that none of these references teach singly nor render obvious when considered in any conceivable combination the nexus of the instant invention as disclosed in greater detail hereinafter and as particularly claimed.
The present invention incorporates a carrier convertible to a material handler for filling bags from a bulk lot of material. The front end of this unit is a scoop for gathering fluent, particulate, granular or loose material. The scoop is enclosed on its top by a hood that prevents spill out of any material when the present invention is raised into an upright position. The scoop tapers in longitudinal section into a flue. This tapering permits multiple units to nest into one another for storage purposes. The bottom side of the convertible carrier that leads to the scoop is flat for a distance prior to tapering into the flue in order to allow the scoop to act as a flat bottom shovel to shovel material against the ground, floor or flat surface or to have material swept into it like a dust pan. The flue ends at an opening and the opening is sized so that an industry-specific standard bag fits over the opening. The length of the flue is dimensioned so that, upon the bag being placed over the flue, a hand can grasp both the unit and bag easily. When grasped, the bag is tightened and secured to the device by the grasping hand. Other bags of different sizes can be accommodated by either gathering any slack with the gripping hand or making different size units. Above the hood are a pair of stanchions that have a handle traversing the pair. This handle allows for two-handed operation for heavy material, such as wet sand. The unit is sized such that the amount of material gathered from a single xe2x80x9cscoopxe2x80x9d would fill the bag to the appropriate level for the bag""s particular purpose. Also, provided is a plug that when place in the flue inhibits material from passing through that flue. When the plug is placed adjacent the hood, a projection stores the plug out of the way during the bagging process and does not interfere with the flue opening.
The present invention also incorporates a process for using the unit of the present invention. The first step is to load a bag onto the unit and grip the bag and unit together as one. The next step is to scoop material into the unit. Then, the unit is lifted upright. Finally, the grasp on the bag is released and a new bag is loaded to repeat the process.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a single person system for filling containers with fluent material that would have required two people.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a system for filling containers that saves time, money and manpower.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a system that increases yield of fluent material entering into a container when filling the container.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a system to mitigate back and hand trauma from filling containers.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a system that is easy to use.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device that is durable.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device that stores easily.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device with a strap and a removable cap to permit the carrying of objects to a work site.
Viewed from a first vantage point, it is an object of the present invention to provide a convertible carrier comprising, in combination: a scoop converging to a chute; and a damper that regulates material in said chute.
Viewed from a second vantage point, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method of filling at least one container with fluent material comprising the steps of: loading a container onto a chute; scooping the fluent material with a scoop diverging from the chute; and lifting the scoop by a handle attached thereto in order to pass the fluent material from the scoop, through the chute and into the container.
These and other objects will be made manifest when considering the following detailed specification when taken in conjunction with the appended drawing figures.